Wish I Knew You
by Lindt Luirae
Summary: A lost bet and a forced dare brings two lonely losers together. Sakura never thought something as absurd-sounding as the 'No More Lonely Losers' program would land none other than Konoha's hottest bachelor and her long-time crush in her lap. KakaSaku. Rating might be upped later.
1. Preface

**\- Preface -**

**Age:** 21

**Rank:** Jounin

**Specialisation:** Medic, poison expert

**Interest:** male/female/both

**Hobbies:** reading, training, taking a walk at sunrise, studying medicine, petting stray animals, travelling, meeting new people.

**Three key traits partner must have:** mature, bookworm, smart.

**I am:** hardworking, trustworthy, smart, non-judgemental, an animal lover, a hopeless romantic (according to my best friend), and I suck at cooking.

**Age group my partner must be in:** 25 - 35

**Status my partner must be:** Jounin

**Why are you participating in this program:** my best friend forced (dared) me to.

* * *

**Age:** 34

**Rank:** Jounin

**Specialisation:** Assassinations, tracking

**Interest:** male/female/both

**Hobbies:** reading, training, playing with my dogs, travelling, writing, cooking

**Three key traits my partner must have:** smart, witty, trustworthy

**I am:** a genius (according to the Hokage), a bookworm, hopeless when it comes to relationships (according to my best friend), antisocial (according to my students, which is a lie), the devil himself (according to Genma Shiranui), and I know about 1,137 jutsu if that makes any difference... oh, and I'm also a brilliant cook.

**Age group my partner must be in:** I honestly don't care as long as we get along.

**Status my partner must be:** Jounin

**Why are you participating in this program:** I lost a bet.

* * *

Tsunade-sama was a twisted individual and that was final. End of story.

"No More Lonely Losers Programme?" Sakura mouthed, shocked and appalled at what she'd just heard from the dark-haired, older woman.

Shizune nodded, eyes still wide with disbelief. "Yes! And she's forcing me to participate!"

Sakura sympathised really but… she couldn't help the snort that escaped her. "What was that senpai? You're ready to let go of the 'Lonely Loser' status?"

Shizune huffed and slapped Sakura upside the head for being a cheeky-shit. "Keep that up and I might just pull rank and make you sign up, too."

The rosette immediately took a large leap back, widening her eyes, "Absolutely not!"

Shizune grinned rather evilly as she got back to arranging the Hokage's desk. "The catch is… You can't meet your match until six months from now. Specifically on Christmas Eve."

Sakura sputtered, "B-but— that's crazy!"

The older woman scoffed as she muttered, "Tell me about it."

"How do you communicate?!" Sakura asked incredulously.

"The old fashioned way: by mail." Shizune shrugged.

Sakura, however, was too busy wondering if she could convince Ino to sign up so she could get the girl to butt out of her love life— or lack thereof. The blond was convinced Sakura still held love for her dark-haired teammate from her genin days (which was not the case, dammit!) and had been urging her to see someone new. Sakura was already dreading the devious, but equally creative ways Ino will push her into taking part in the NMLL program.

"I should get going," Sakura finally said. "Dinner's on me tonight."

"Yeah?" Shizune hummed while stacking a neat pile of papers in the centre of Tsunade's desk, "Say hi to Ino for me."

"Hai, hai."

**(x)**

"Forehead, this is brilliant," Ino squealed. "You should sign up right away— no offence but like, you're the biggest lonely loser in Konoha."

"Haha," Sakura muttered dryly, "keep dreaming Pig."

"But Forehead," Ino whined, "you could benefit from this— you might die alone!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, offended. "You sure know how to flatter a friend," she sneered as she began scooping portions of food onto their plates. "I'm not signing, absolutely not. That's final."

When she turned to hand her plate to Ino, the blond had a familiar glint in her eyes. Uh, oh…

"I see." Ino nodded sagely, like Sakura's answer made all the sense in the world all of a sudden. "You're just afraid you won't be matched with anyone at all, is that it? It's okay Forehead-girl, not all of us are as charming and attractive as me."

Sakura's jaw dropped open. "Ino-pig. Take that back."

Ino shook her head with mock sympathy, "I mean, who wants a violent, pink-haired trauma for a girlfriend…"

"Oh, that's it!" Sakura knew Ino was purposely pushing her buttons but she couldn't help herself dammit! She lunged for her roommate, fist infused with just enough chakra to bruise purple.

Ino shrieked as she narrowly missed being turned into a live-representation of her favourite colour. "Dammit, forehead girl this pretty nose is a product of fantastic genes!"

"Don't make me genetically engineer you into a frog, pig!"

"Ha! I'd still be prettier than you~"

"PIG!"

**(x)**

After two broken vases and three complaints from fed-up neighbours, Ino and Sakura settled down, and although they both were glaring at each other, they clearly were trying to resist their laughter.

"I'll sign up only if you do." Sakura finally huffed and trailed off in an annoyed mutter, "I hope they match you to a freaking horse."

"Oh, I hope so too," Ino giggled as she winked suggestively.

Sakura didn't bother replying, only wiggling over to kick Ino with her foot in retribution.

Ino simple scooted out of reach and Sakura was too tired to move. "Who do you think will sign up?"

"I don't know," Ino shrugged. "We should probably bully Tenten into it just so that stuck-up Hyuuga stops being so blind and realises he likes her."

Sakura chuckled as she piled her hair up in a bun and fanned her neck; Ino was a total freakin workout when she tried. "Eh, should probably do the same with Hinata. Honestly, Naruto's skull is so thick… Poor Hinata…"

"Hmm…" Ino reclined on the couch and slid all the way down so that she was taking up the entirety of the space. "I wonder…"

"What?"

"Do you think Kakashi-sensei would sign up?" Ino wondered aloud, oblivious to the way Sakura minutely tensed up at the mention of him.

"Oh…" The rosette said blankly. "I don't know."

Perhaps the most absurd thing to date -and it had certainly been the least expected- was the small crush Sakura had developed on Kakashi after the war. Ino, of course, didn't need to know that.

"I wonder which lucky bitch will snatch that." Ino sniggered and Sakura willed down the irrational jolt of jealousy the thought inspired.

"Since when are you interested in Kakashi?" She grumbled, unintentionally, but that seemed to slip past Ino as a mere annoyance.

"Are you kidding? Have you seen him? He's so hot! That man could probably melt ice if he looked at it too long..." Ino has entered gushing territory, and Sakura had to reluctantly, and internally, agree. "They should staple a warning on him: High Risk of Panty Loss Ahead."

"Pig!" Sakura screeched, flushing. "Enough."

An evil, evil grin stretched over Ino's face. "Oh ho… want to keep your darling sensei all to yourself Sakura? So naughty…"

Another vase was smashed that night, much to the chagrin of the neighbours.

**(x)**

**Okay, I know I shouldn't be starting a new fic (pls don't kill me) but I just can't resist writing this any longer. It's been sitting in my docs for over a year. I have two chapter written so far, and I don't think I'll ever have frequent updated but depending on the response this story receives, I might pay it more attention. Let me know what you think!**

**Edit (18/3/2019): this chapter was beta'd by the lovely ohayohimawari!**


	2. Here Goes Nothing

**Chapter 1 **

"Oi…" Naruto growled irritably as Sakura slid her profile sheet over to Shizune, visibly defeated. "You can't be serious…"

"What? Clearly, I'm a lonely loser," Sakura dismissed. " So are you for the matter."

Shizune snorted as she reviewed her paper and added it the growing stack at the corner of her office desk as the official head of the program per Tsunade's request.

"Who's doing the matching anyway?" Naruto grumbled to Shizune.

"That's classified. But they're a group of people well versed in such matters," came Shizune's cryptic response.

Both youngsters sighed and moved to stand up. "When do we find out if we have a match?"

"Just after the submission deadline Sakura, so possibly at the start of next month." Shizune stretched with a soft sound. "Anyway, I'm heading home, gods today was a killer…"

They followed her out, discussing the merits and disadvantages of this program and the likelihood of it helping anyone.

"Ahh, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto suddenly called with an enthusiastic wave. Sakura's heart immediately plummeted, as it recently did at the sight of him.

"Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan," he said pleasantly, his newly issued jounin outfit suited him so well it made her mouth go dry just looking at him. "What are you two doing here? It's past working hours."

Naruto opened his mouth, no doubt to give away her predicament and she immediately clamped his mouth shut with her hand. Naruto yelped as she 'accidentally' stepped on his foot. "Nothing." She said cooly, clinging onto her last shreds of dignity, "In fact, we were just heading home, right Naruto?"

The blond immediately began nodding vigorously as she released him. "Yes! Yes, we were… Err… Actually, I might stop for ramen— or not I guess," he quickly redirected at Sakura's piercing glare, nervous laughter following his declaration.

Shizune watched the exchange with an amused glint in her eyes and patted Kakashi on the shoulder as she departed. "Good night y'all. Try not to murder any spandex-wearing or senbon-chewing jounin on the way home Kakashi-kun, I heard there was… an _accident_ the other day. Something about lost bets?"

To both Naruto's and Sakura's surprise, Kakashi's ears pinked at the tips and he coughed awkwardly into his fist. "I'll… keep that in mind."

He turned back around to come face to face with two inquiring gazes and immediately made an exaggerated show of noticing the time. "Ah, would you look at the time! I forgot to water my plants, I'd hate for mother nature to unleash her unforgiving wrath on me… I'll see you two around!"

A poof of smoke later, and he was gone.

"Weird," Naruto mumbled suspiciously, but his feet were already carrying him out of the Hokage tower.

Sakura had a niggling suspicion of what that was about.

**(x)**

"... And then, he freaking pushed me down the Hokage mountain! Who does that?!"

"Vindictive copy ninja?"

"I was only making a joke!"

"Don't tickle someone where it hurts, Genma."

"My, my, aren't we having fun?" Kakashi casually dropped into the vacant seat next to Genma, who immediately turned his full glare on Kakashi.

"Go fuck yourself Kakashi," Genma grumbled, knocking back his drink in one gulp.

Kakashi reached over to pat him on the back, adding just a warning jolt of electricity as he chuckled, "I'm not quite that desperate."

"Are you not?" Aoba remarked detachedly, swirling his drink in one hand, his glasses glinting strangely in the low bar light. "It must've been a decade since you've gotten laid."

"Oh? You've been keeping tabs?" Kakashi wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he brought the rim of his glass to his lips and drank through the mask. "Are you interested?"

Aoba made a show of gagging. "Hell no man, you already got all of Konoha falling at your feet, is that not enough for you?"

With a shrug, Kakashi took another hearty sip— it wasn't like he was _interested_ per se, after all, what Konoha's population saw was a mask, only what he was willing to disclose of his person, and more of a front than anything. "Speaking of Konoha… anyone participating in the NMLL program?"

Silence descended on the small table of Jounin, comically heavy with embarrassment before Raido reluctantly raised his hand. "I was dared to alright. Genma is an ass."

"Seconded." Kakashi raised his glass to that.

"Thirded. Is tha'—hic—a word?" Slurring, Kotetsu enthusiastically slammed his glass down on the table.

"Man, you're wasted." Izumo sighed, ever fussing over his partner, and got up. "I should probably take him home… Come on, get your ass up…"

"You _looooove_ my ass," Kotetsu made kissing noises as Izumo threw Kotetsu's arm over his shoulder. Izumo sighed, affectionately long-suffering.

"I'll see you guys around." He muttered, sending Genma a warning glare, "And you, don't overdo it."

"Yes, mother." Genma sniggered, then promptly let out a girly shriek as Izumo kicked his seat from under him and he collapsed backward, saved in the nick of time by Aoba whose hand darted out to grip Genma's arm and steadied him.

Raido snorted amusedly and subsequently choked on his drink. Hacking coughs followed and Kakashi reached across the table to pat his back consolingly. "Easy there, Rai-kun."

"Esteemed Rival!" Gai's sudden piercing cry boomed throughout the bar, and a few people notably flinched. Others literally scrambled for cover.

Kakashi sighed in dreadfully painful acceptance. "Here we go..."

Three seconds later he was lifted off his seat, squashed into a rock hard chest, and then dropped as suddenly back into his seat. "How are you this fine evening?"

Kakashi poked his ear with his pinky, but the ringing persisted. "Just fine. And yourself Gai?"

The spandex-wearing Jounin suddenly burst into manly tears, "I heard you signed up! So cruel of you not to invite me, rival!"

"Wait—say _what_?" Aoba interjected, slamming his glass down on the table with a loud thwack. "_You_ signed up?!"

Kakashi sent Gai a withering glare. "What happened to customer confidentiality or whatever? Did Shizune tell you?"

Gai suddenly became very interested in the ceiling above, whistling innocently. Kakashi sighed and jabbed a finger in Genma's direction. "This asshole won a bet and dared me to do it."

"Ho-ho," Raido chortled and turned devious eyes on Genma, "wait until Konoha's entire population comes for your ass cause you took the Copy Ninja off the market."

The copy ninja deigned him with an eye roll. "Then now's as good a time as any to point out _my_ ass was never on the market, to begin with."

"Shame," Genma sniggered, ever fast at jumping to tease Kakashi and made kissy noises at him.

Kakashi made sure to accidentally kick on the leg of his chair on his way out that night. drunk Genma face-planting onto the table in shock was an entirely unexpected, but pleasant surprise.

**(x)**

**Age:** 21

**Rank:** Jounin

**Specialisation:** Tactics and interrogation

**Interest:** male/female/**both**

**Hobbies:** shopping, training, gardening, crafting herbs, brewing tea, studying medicine, partying, setting people up, gossiping.

**Three key traits partner must have:** outgoing, fun, confident.

**I am:** outgoing, confident, loud, party-loving and completely sick of immature boys and stroking their sorry little egos.

**Age group my partner must be in:** 30 - 40

**Status my partner must be:** Jounin

**Why are you participating in this program:** well, my best friend wouldn't unless I do, so here I am. Pair me with someone hot please, matchmaker-san.

* * *

**Age: **36

**Rank: **Jounin

**Specialisation: **Assassinations, tracking, fuinjutsu.

**Interest:** male/**female**/both

**Hobbies:** uh, not dying that's number one. I also enjoy nights out drinking with my friends and partying. I knit in my free time and I'll personally hunt you down and kill you if you tell Kakashi Hatake.

**Three key traits my partner must have:** Witty, confident, party-lover.

**I am:** a partywhore (according to all my friends), an insomniac, pretty darn good at cooking if you ask me, self-satisfied, laidback, and just enjoying life as it comes.

**Age group my partner must be in:** 20+

**Status my partner must be:** Jounin

**Why are you participating in this program:** Why not?

**(x)**

"Sakura!" Ino's delighted squeal echoed throughout the house. Loud footsteps clambered up the stairs and she came barging into Sakura's room uninvited.

Ino flopped down on the bed, all long limbs and waves of sunshine hair. "Guess what just came in the mail!"

Sakura sat up with a jolt, mouth drying. It could only be one thing.

She ripped the cluster of envelopes out of Ino's hand in nervous excitement, shuffling through them to find a yellow one made of obviously expensive paper. On the back, her name was neatly written in cursive letters.

She discarded the rest of the letters in the space between them. "NMLL?"

"Yes!" Ino exclaimed with a grin as she ripped open her own yellow envelope.

Sakura cautiously peered inside her envelope to find two pieces of neatly folded paper. She unfolded the bigger piece first, eyes roving over the printed text:

_Dear Participant 56,_

_Thank you for signing up for our No More Lonely Losers program and contributing to ridding our esteemed village of lonely losers. _

_Rules and regulations:_

_-To ensure the safety of our participants, you're forbidden to meet your match before the twenty-fourth of December, six months from now at the ball organised by our esteemed Hokage. _

_-Communication is allowed through our mail delivery service only. Make sure to attach your participation number as well as your partner's on the back of the envelope. Any identity-revealing information will be screened out. Mail will be picked up every other day at 10:00 am. _

_-In the event that you believe you and your partner are not a good match, please file a complaint and submit it to the main desk. Please be patient with us, we're trying our best to match people._

_Find below key traits about your partner:_

_Participant 34 is a fan of reading, training, playing with his dogs, travelling, writing and cooking. You were matched based on your key traits and hobbies._

_Good luck!_

Sakura blinked owlishly down at the paper and unravelled the other one to find a mailing address. They barely provided any information! Many people had those hobbies so she couldn't even begin to narrow it down, especially since they didn't include his age.

Looking up at Ino, Sakura found the blonde still grinning. Her blue eyes glittered as they slid from the paper to meet Sakura's. "I'm going to write them a letter right now, see ya forehead!"

Sakura pursed her lips as she watched Ino dash out of her room. The blonde was pretty excited for someone who initially acted indifferent towards this program… Sakura, on the other hand, tensed, more nervous than excited after having viewed the contents of the letter.

It felt pointless. She already had her eyes on someone. And not just _anyone_, but someone who excelled in probably every field known to mankind. Who could rival Kakashi? She didn't want to string along some poor loser. What were the chances of her getting attached to this individual and moving on from Kakashi?

_Only one way to find out_… Sakura sighed and reached over to grab a fresh piece of paper.

_Here goes nothing_.

* * *

**The only reason this took so long is because I was looking for a beta. Thank you ohayohimawari for being such a sweetheart and helping me out!**

**Let me know your thoughts guys, and thank you for all the love this fic received! **


	3. One Copy Ninja and Dinner, Please

**Chapter 2**

_Dear 34…_

_Wow, this will be troublesome, what should I call you? I don't think I'm allowed to reveal my name so feel free to call me whatever you want._

_I'm writing an 'introductory letter' when I'm not even allowed to introduce myself... Sounds lame to me. For the record, I was dared into doing this so I apologise in advance for being bad at it._

_We have a few things in common it seems—I can't cook though, it's a miracle that I learned to stop setting things on fire and settled for mild food poisoning instead. My roommate says it's a serious improvement._

_You are a writer? As in novels? Should I expect eloquently-worded letters? That would be nice— I'm surrounded by inarticulate men. One communicates exclusively through insults, and another through grunts in varying pitches that really only ever translate to annoyance or agreement. Don't even get me started on my third teammate, he can't open his mouth without sticking his foot in it. My team captain is not so bad though, not that he talks much, to begin with._

_As for me… my problem has always been that I'm too expressive. I've been told it suits my appearance but I'm not so sure. My hair is a ridiculous colour, so maybe that's why._

_What your favourite food? Do you cook just for yourself or others as well? I only have one roommate, she's my best friend, I wonder if you have one, too?_

_Hear from you soon,_

_...Err, you know the drill._

That was her fifth and final try.

Sakura stared distastefully at her letter. It was plain _bad_ in her opinion. Why couldn't they give them a crash course on communicating with strangers via letters before throwing them into this program?

_Whatever_, Sakura huffed, her chair skidding back as she stood and stretched. Her hospital shift was about to start and she had better head out. She grabbed her letter and shoved it in her pouch; maybe she could drop by Shizune's desk later and have it delivered?

On her way out, she ran into Ino by the kitchen door chatting amicably on the phone. Ino waved at her, shooting a smile her way, but she was clearly too engrossed in her conversation.

"...right, and then they said to cancel the delivery. Four days before the wedding! Freakin outrageous if you ask me…"

Sakura arched a curious eyebrow but left Ino to her devices as she grabbed an apple and was on her way. She'd pick at that thread of gossip later.

Entering the hospital had always felt like stepping through a portal. A set of double doors were the only thing that separated the sunny and bright Konoha atmosphere from the battlefield of the ER. The moment Sakura entered the brightly lit hallway, interns and nurses flocked her way with charts, all talking together.

Sakura quickly reviewed the charts as she listened to her students Akako and Ayame list their patients of the day.

One of them was critical, a genin team just returned from their first mission, and one of the boys was grievously injured and bleeding from a head wound.

"A summon animal used him as a chew toy." Akako hissed leading her toward the room where multiple medics surrounded a little boy.

Akako promptly turned green at the sight of the mauled boy and Sakura had to take just a moment to center herself before she rushed to his side. He was conscious and rambling about a big bear and his teammates, eyes wide open, and clearly in shock.

Deep claw marks lined his shoulder, and his arms were covered with bloody rags.

Sakura immediately went into action, piling her hair up in a bun. "What've we got?"

"Deep animal claw lacerations extending down the left side of the body," Hana said, in the process of cleaning the wounds.

"Hello Itsuki-kun, I'm Haruno-sensei. I need you to stay conscious, okay? You'll be as good as new in no time."

Sakura joined his side, and together with the medics, they started patching up the boy.

**(x)**

Sakura groaned loudly, messaging her neck as she drifted towards her office to deposit her coat and gather any important documents that needed to be reviewed by the Hokage. Today was a killer. Three critical cases and two labours back to back. Her shoulder was cramping so badly her fingers shook at any strenuous motion.

She was nowhere near chakra exhaustion yet, however, she was running on a measly apple and hunger was making her grumpy and lethargic.

It was Ino's turn to cook today, and Ino really was a decent cook, but Sakura wished for something in particular today. She wondered what awaited her at home, she'd been craving teriyaki desperately. What was the likelihood of her convincing Ino to make her some?

Sakura knocked on Shizune's office door when she arrived there, drumming her nails against the wood as her stomach grumbled again in misery.

"Come in," came Shizune's enthusiastic response. How that woman could maintain a cheerful disposition after a ten-hour shift was beyond Sakura.

Sakura opened the door, a sigh escaping her and said by way of greeting: "Kill me please I'm starving."

Shizune and Kakashi looked up at her and Sakura's steps faltered in surprise.

"K-kakashi-senpai?— Hi." It was a little embarrassing that she stumbled over his name, suddenly finding her heart racing. She tried to calm it, going so far as to regulate it with medical chakra. No reason to alert anyone to her internal emotional affairs, thank you very much. "Sorry for disturbing."

His eyes creased in a hidden smile and he raised a two finger salute, "Yo."

Sakura hurriedly turned to Shizune, hating the sudden rush of heat to her cheeks. "Are you done working, senpai?"

"Yes, I was just going over Kakashi-kun's mission." Shizune smiled pleasantly although her eyes danced with concealed mirth like she might've been privy to Sakura's thoughts. "Haven't you eaten?"

"Not yet." Sakura kneaded her scalp where her bun had been pulled taut all day and groaned softly, "I haven't had the chance to—I had three critical surgeries back to back. And two labours."

"Yikes," Shizune's features scrunched up in sympathy as she closed the file on her table and slid it to Kakashi, turning to him. "Here, all done. Kakashi was also telling me that he hasn't eaten all day. Maybe you two could get something together."

Sakura blinked, hoping her face wouldn't reveal how taken aback she was by the suggestion. And then there was the whirl of emotions that started with surprise, stumbled through elation, excitement, and then eclipsed with a nervous stampede of butterflies.

She probably didn't smell all that pleasant right now, and she started regretting foregoing a quick shower before leaving the hospital. A glance at Kakashi revealed that he, too, seemed a little surprised by Shizune's rather forward proposal.

Her thoughts battled on whether to politely decline with the explanation that Ino was cooking dinner, or to let that part of her that craved Kakashi's company to take over and convince her to go. Sakura was caught off guard when suddenly smiling charcoal eyes locked with hers, and she felt her breath get stuck somewhere in her throat when Kakashi said, "Sure, why not? It's been a while since we hung out, Sakura-chan."

The cursed butterflies turned violent, clearly intent on fighting their way through her if the almost uncomfortable tightening of her stomach was anything to go by. The warmth in her cheeks seemed to take over her face, and Sakura sent him what she hoped was a casual and friendly smile, rather than something lunatic or love-sick. "Sounds good."

He stood up, all lithe muscles and deadly grace. Sakura couldn't help watching his powerful, broad shoulders and sure hands as he reached to scoop up the files. Her eyes helplessly followed the motion as he straightened to his full height, trying not to blatantly stare at his posterior and how his jounin pants hugged him a little too snuggly (and failing a little).

She shook herself out of her trance, mouth dry as Kakashi turned to face her, still smiling. Kakashi had always been such a _vision_. But getting distracted by some boy like a little schoolgirl was unacceptable, even if Kakashi was definitely not a boy, but rather, a man. A very sexy, very manly man.

It was still unacceptable in her book of 'I'm-a-capable-kunoichi-and-I'm-done-with-guys-who-don't-give-me-the-time-of-the-day'.

Behind Kakashi's back, Shizune gave her a happy thumbs-up that Sakura resolutely ignored. Shizune had been the first to discover Sakura's crush, despite Sakura's adamant denial of the existence of such thing, and had strangely been an active supporter of Sakura pursuing Kakashi.

Lost in thought, she followed after him when Kakashi held the door open for her—like a perfect gentleman, as if he never stuck her with a bill, or kept her waiting three hours at the training field, or read _porn_ in public.

Sakura walked out, struggling to hold onto her dignity for a little longer and trying not to jump when the door closed shut behind her. She felt the warmth of Kakashi's body ghost over her back, like a phantom touch.

Goosebumps broke all over her skin and she took a few, quick steps away from his pleasant invasion of her space. He chuckled, "What's got you so jumpy today?"

_You_. "Ah, I'm just really hungry and impatient."

Kakashi nodded and began leading her out of the building. "That's understandable. What do you feel like having?"

And there he went directing the question to her— why wouldn't _he_ choose so that she could stop feeling like Shizune forced him into eating with her? Dammit. "Honestly anything would do right now, I'm too hungry to care."

"Fair enough." He chuckled again as he opened another door for her, and she tried not to blush when she felt the warmth of his palm lightly touch the small of her back while he maneuvered them around a group of people entering the Hokage tower. "We could go to Ichibanya? They have really good curry rice. They also serve good sake so it's a win-win."

Sakura nodded, thankful for the cool evening air against her flushed face. "Alright, let's go there."

It was a short and silent walk, nothing dramatic really, and Sakura felt silly for all of her initial nervousness. First of all, it had been a while since she'd seen Kakashi. During the first year after the war, they had all been too busy hunting down any rogue ninja that used the chaos from the war to start trouble of their own. After that came the rebuilding process, and Sakura had been away for another two years to oversee and revolutionize the medical systems in other nations. Now, things between them were … whatever this is.

He made her feel like she was teetering on an edge, which was quite foolish when she reflected upon it. He had seen her at her worst, and _she_ had seen _him_ in all walks of life: rumpled and smelly from weeks camped out in a forest; bloody and broken under her healing hands, tired and aching and depressed after a particularly grueling mission. There was no reason for her to need to be on her best appearance because at the end of the day, all of those hormonal and silly feelings aside, he was still _Kakashi_.

He was still the man who had held them suspended over molten lava with nothing but an unrolled scroll to support their weight; bruising her ribs from holding her tightly with steely fingers, even as the scroll threatened to give out from their combined load.

Kakashi who, during the war, spent every waking moment looking out for her when she was too busy looking out for everyone else.

Warmth spread through her chest, something tender and fragile and all just for him…

Sakura sighed quietly, but with a little too much force behind the simple exhale. In hindsight, those so happened to be the exact reasons that brought on those unexpected feelings for Kakashi.

She didn't know whether to feel annoyed or defeated. After all, she remembered how much she used to tease Ino about her crush on Asuma-sensei, and here she was, now crushing on her ex-sensei too.

At least Ino outgrew it, yet here Sakura was, three years later, still ridiculously infatuated by the man.

All it took was the thought to sink in for a moment before she felt immediately bad. Sakura remembered how Ino lost Asuma and yet she still had Kakashi.

She felt herself unconsciously drift closer to his side as they approached Ichibanya, slowly relaxing her shoulders and letting her lungs flood with air. She'd enjoy these precious moments, even if Kakashi never felt the same way towards her, because one day she was bound to lose him like Ino lost Asuma, and she didn't want to have any regrets when that day came.

**(x)**

Sitting under a low-hanging lamp behind a separation curtain in a busy restaurant should not have felt intimate. Yet there they were, cocooned by white noise and gentle music, with nothing but each other to stare at as they waited for their food to arrive.

Within this confined space, a quiet bubble in the middle of chaos, his gaze felt so heavy on her skin, like heat dragging over silk. His voice dipped and rumbled, nuzzled in the grooves of her ears as he recounted the details of his recent mission. Sakura felt both weightless and like she was sinking into the warmth of the fluffiest bed in the world.

She rested her cheek on her upturned palm, secretly enjoying the feeling of having his undivided attention fixated upon her, and listened intently as the topic drifted to more personal matters.

"...Which is quite ridiculous don't you agree? And he cheated too, which he thinks I don't know. So now I'm stuck with a stupid dare." Kakashi sighed, hunching over the low table. "The guys had a field day with it. 'The great copy ninja' being a 'lonely loser'."

Sakura couldn't quite help the amused chuckle that tumbled from her lips, even when her first reaction towards the news was intense (but fleeting) jealousy. "To be fair though… you kinda are."

"You wound me, Sakura-chan." He said mournfully,

"Don't you want to find a partner?" She wondered aloud.

It was a perfectly valid and logical question; she never found an indirect way to ask Kakashi about what he thought of relationships and love, and now seemed the perfect opportunity to ask. "You don't actually want to die alone, do you?"

Kakashi seemed to hesitate before awkwardly scratching at his cheek, a smile pulling tantalisingly at his mask. "It's not like that."

That wasn't a clear answer at all. Sakura decided to push him a little. "You've been in love before, right?"

She fought to keep from reacting when an honest to gods blush crept over Kakashi's mask and he suddenly became almost shy. "Ah, haha, once or twice? You know the shinobi lifestyle is not exactly conducive to happily ever afters."

Oh, she knew a thing or two about _that_. Although 'once or twice'? What was that supposed to mean anyway? She should give up extracting clearly unwilling answers.

However, she had to give it one last push. "Honestly, I don't know what's stopping you. You've got this—crazy reputation, the copy ninja and one thousand jutsu and all—and I doubt your mask hides anything besides a perfectly normal face. I can't imagine anyone rejecting you."

Now it was his turn to raise his eyebrows and blink in surprise. He rubbed at the back of his neck, and his shy demeanor was strangely endearing. "Mah, Sakura-chan you're going to make me blush."

Sakura sat back, suddenly embarrassed at what she'd said. She hoped that wasn't _too_ forward. "Ah," she let out a squeaky nervous laugh that immediately made her want to cringe. "I'm just _saying_… Sorry, that was too forward, wasn't it? You're just so secretive all the time, we mere mortals get curious you know…"

_Annnd_ she was rambling.

The subsequent hearty chuckles from Kakashi instantly relaxed her and warmed her up, wrapping comfortably around her. "It's fine, I promise. I'm not all _that_ secretive, it's just my dating life doesn't usually come up in conversation. Which by the way, thank gods for that. To let you in on a little secret, it's non-existent."

Was she gaping? She hoped not. "No way. You've never been on a date?"

Kakashi chuckled again, and that little crawling blush was back. "_Voluntarily?_ Not really—well, rarely anyway. But, well, I've known Genma since we were kids and he never gave up trying to set me up with someone, even when—forgive my bluntness—he hopped around from hole to hole like a rabbit. Sometimes his methods were less than honorable and I'd only find out it's a date way too late. "

Sakura was stunned. She'd always assumed Kakashi was secretive because he had something to hide. She never thought that his secrecy was due to the fact that he _didn't_ date, but because he might've been a playboy like rumour had it.

Ridiculously, she felt her heart swell for the man in front of her and promptly attempted to silence any raging flappy things in her stomach.

"That's… that sounds like a nightmare," she said, finally settling her nerves (or butterflies), and internally reproached herself for feeling mildly elated at this revelation.

"You have no idea." Kakashi was not normally a very expressive person, but the intense distaste that flickered over his face had her doubling over in laughter.

After a few seconds of trying to get her mirth under control, Sakura shot him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but I'm laughing because I know _exactly_ how you feel. The things Ino put me through over the years… I should sue her."

Kakashi's eyes dipped to their half-hooded lazy stare as he sank back into the comfort of idle conversation. "Yeah? Once Genma forced me into a double date, and I very quickly discovered the woman had the emotional range of celery, which you know, coming from someone who wears a mask that covers half of his face … you get the idea. She talked about scrolls. All. The. Time. And maintaining her nails."

Sakura snorted, "Oh, try being forced into a date at some expensive restaurant when all your date does is make inappropriate comments at inappropriate times, and choking on your wine while you're at it. He laughed at me, senpai! All the way home! And then he tried to go in for a goodnight kiss." Sakura huffed, swiping loose pink strands out of her eyes and missing the slight narrowing of Kakashi's gaze.

"Wow, what a pig," he waved his hand dismissively. "That sucks but try being stuck in a closet with someone who didn't know how to keep their hands to themselves, and watch things get very awkward very fast."

Sakura made an appalled face. "Oh. That… Well, usually I punch my way out of there. Sometimes a bone or two are _accidentally_ broken." Her voice lilted softly over the word gazing intently, as a woman trotted from around the screen to serve them sake.

Sakura watched her go before she reached over to pour a serving for Kakashi and herself.

"Who's crazy enough to get a case of wandering hands around _you?_" He said it lightly, with an eye crease, like a joke.

Sakura was wholly annoyed by the way her entire body flushed with pleasant tingles. This was getting quite pathetic.

Kakashi had acknowledged her strengths a lifetime ago, she couldn't believe his praise still managed to make her blood sing even after all these years. That even after gaining some much-needed self-confidence and self-esteem, his approval still momentarily tilted her world out of balance.

"Imbeciles," she responded shortly, and forcefully shook herself out of her reverie. "You'd be surprised how many of them reside here in our darling Konoha. Just last week my blind date threw a tantrum because I refused to kiss him on our first date."

Kakashi's brows pinched together in apparent disgust. "Boys," he tutted distastefully, before clearing his throat, "perhaps Ino should be more selective with her matches."

_Ha,_ she wished. "Ino is a masochist. She has her own special messed up brand of fun when it comes to me floundering around idiotic men, and her taking pleasure in watching it."

"How are she and Genma not friends?" He rubbed a palm over his eyes and took a hearty sip of his drink through the mask, the perfect embodiment of a man drinking away painful memories.

"Uh, thank gods for that." She muttered with a shudder, and took another sip, and then another, enjoying the warmth of the sake settling in her belly. "I don't want those two teaming up on anyone."

"Oh no, what if they match them in the NMLL?" Now it was his turn to cringe and shiver.

Sakura never thought a phrase that didn't include Orochimaru's name could hold such ominousness. She felt colour rapidly drain out of her face. "Oh no… I'm doomed. They'll ward me off with a reptile the second they need the house."

"If it's of any consolation I live one street away, just shout reptile and senpai will come to your rescue." Kakashi reached over and patted her hand in what was probably meant to be a mock-sympathetic gesture, but the jolt that went through her at the contact had her back straightening and her eyes coming back into sharp focus. Sakura didn't even think she was breathing.

She let her guard down around him and now she was paying for it because he had undoubtedly felt her stiffen beneath his touch.

His eyebrow raised imperceptibly but he casually withdrew his touch.

_Oh, gods,_ she was an _idiot!_ She immediately missed his warmth and hastened to remedy the situation, almost gushing, fake girly voice and all: "I knew I could always count on you, senpai!"

He visibly winced much to her chagrin _and_ amusement. "Although if it's, say, one of those furry spidery-looking ones, count me out…"

"... I can't believe you'd let some furry, spidery-looking thing whisk away your favourite student!" she said remorsefully, pressing a hand to her heart in mock-hurt. "And here I was thinking you might be my knight in shining armour… guess you're just a graying old man after all."

_Sooooo not true,_ Inner Sakura pointed out unhelpfully, _if all old graying men looked this good they'd become a walking hazard and you'd be spending all your days at the hospital._

Kakashi didn't rise to the bait. "Will it get me free massages?"

"Mm? No, it just means you're a jiji." She remarked offhandedly, raising her sake cup to hide her smile behind the rim.

Kakashi nursed his drink, grumbling to himself, something about old men and respect and her generation's lack of it.

Sakura was saved from the belly laugh threatening to escape her by the waitress that brought over their steaming bowls of curry. The scent was so heavenly, Sakura swore she salivated at the sight of it being placed on the table in front of her.

"I could cry right now," she said honestly, once their hostess was out of earshot. "Do you know when the last time I had a proper meal was?"

Kakashi shook his head distractedly, too busy breaking apart his chopsticks and nearly drooling through his mask.

The hunger was so acute, that Sakura didn't even bother trying to steal a glance at his ever elusive face. She'd let him enjoy his meal in peace, for now.

She shovelled an unladylike amount into her mouth when she was sure he wasn't looking, and chewed happily at the succulent shrimp, letting out a soft moan when the rich flavour coated her taste buds. Kakashi echoed her sentiment.

She had to close her eyes and take a moment to let it wash over her. Pure, foodgasmic joy.

_There's also the walking orgasm sitting in front of you._ Inner casually remarked, and Sakura almost choked on her shrimp.

With her windpipe compromised until further notice, Sakura's palm covered her mouth to restrain the hacking coughs watering her eyes.

Kakashi looked up, clearly concerned, but wisely remained uninvolved. She was _the_ best medic nin in the ninja nations, a little choking wouldn't kill _her_.

This was particularly valuable information because she could think of a few things she'd like to do before she died. Once she'd gotten her breathing under control, Kakashi wordlessly passed her a glass of water he'd poured from the jug beside him.

Sakura shot him a grateful look before she gulped it all down.

That bitch Inner was going to be the death of her! She resurfaced at the most random, most inopportune times only to be completely and repulsively hormonal over Kakashi.

_We are one in the same~_ singsonged Inner, and promptly assaulted her with mental images of all the times she'd glimpsed Kakashi's bare torso and back.

Her stomach clenched with a different, but even more acute longing, and her heart did a stupid little stutter that caused Sakura to let out a measured breath. Ridiculous. This was utterly ridiculous.

She spent a few seconds thinking of every unattractive thing in the world; entitled men, Lee's unwelcome advances, Gai's _tight_ spandex, Naruto's dirty underwear-laden bedroom floor. When she was effectively calm again, albeit a bit repulsed, she resumed chewing on her meal at a more sedate pace… which meant Kakashi was half-way through his meal.

"How do you not have indigestion?" Sakura sent him an exasperated look. "_Seriously_."

In return, Kakashi gave her a masked smile. "Mm? Oh, I just have really sharp teeth…"

That revelation had Sakura pausing in thought. Was this a lame joke or did he _actually_ have sharp teeth?

"Seriously?" The mental image was fuzzy, after all, she had no idea what the bottom half of his face looked like. Not that _that_ ever stopped her from imagining a perfectly handsome face. But suddenly she couldn't imagine him without a sharp canine and he heart tripped over another beat.

Noticing her widened eyes, he sent her a wink. "You'll never know."

Sakura couldn't be blamed or held accountable for firing a shrimp at him when he could be so infuriating and charming at the same time.

That he choose that second to look up and it hit him square in the eye was completely his fault, thank you very much.

**(x)**

"You didn't have to walk me you know." Sakura wasn't fidgeting, okay? She just couldn't help nervously picking at the hem of her shirt as they walked through the darkened streets of Konoha's main district.

The ghost of Kakashi's body heat on her side was somehow giving her more goosebumps than the night's chill.

Most of the population was blissfully asleep at this time. It was a little past midnight, the shops started turning their neon lights off, and the late customers rapidly made their way home to catch a few hours of sleep before their morning shifts.

Sakura and Kakashi however, ambled the streets leisurely and without any hurry.

"I know." Kakashi shrugged, and silence reigned again.

They passed by the darkened academy, and then by a bridge that took them over a quiet stream towards the housing district.

The sky was beautifully dotted with a hundred stars, and the bright moonlight highlighted Kakashi's profile in a breathtaking image. He was like something out of a fantasy, a mythical creature, half-man, half-something mystical. She took a moment to admire how the night wrapped around him like a mother welcoming her child home, how he appeared to walk through the shadows without disturbing them. It seemed they parted for him, and the moonlight followed him as if he might've been made of light too.

A familiar longing tugged at Sakura's heartstrings, and she was thankful that she'd busied her hands with her shirt lest she gave in to the temptation of reaching for him.

And when they stopped at her porch and she turned to face him, she was sorely tempted to kiss Kakashi.

He had his hands shoved in his pockets, his face relaxed in an expression that was so calm, and Sakura thought the stormy tumult of emotions in her chest might drown him if she gave it the chance. Although _she_ was never afraid of getting caught in his thunder, she wished to maintain his peace.

Instead, she smiled, in what she hoped was a friendly and reassuring gesture. "Thanks for walking me home … and sorry about the shrimp earlier."

A startled chuckle burst through his masked lips, and he reached to awkwardly rub at the back of his neck. "It's okay … I've been hit with worse things."

"Let me guess, outraged mothers when their children ask about the bright orange book that old man is reading?" She teased, falling back to something familiar and safe, something that broke her away from thoughts of dark eyes and drowning and the achy feeling in her chest.

He winced. "I swear they carry rocks in those purses they trot around with."

An uninhibited laugh left Sakura, and she turned around before she could say anything stupid, or do anything life-ruining, like grab Kakashi by the collar and drag him into her apartment. "Goodnight, Kakashi-senpai."

She sent the moon-soaked spot where he stood one last look. His hair shimmered silver as it cast a shadow over his features, and obscured his expression. She smiled, "Thanks for the meal."

"No problem. Sweet dreams, Sakura-chan." He raised his hand in a lazy wave and then he was gone in a whirl of displaced leaves, as if he might've been a figment of her imagination.

Afterward, Sakura scrambled into the comfort of her apartment, her heart suddenly beating an erratic symphony. So much so, that she had to lean against her door and press her palm to her chest trying to contain it.

"Forehead?"

Sakura jolted upright, quickly getting a grip on herself, and wandered into the darkness of her house. "It's me, Pig, go back to sleep."

A muffled agreement came from Ino's room, and she croaked something about food in the fridge before she was out like a light again.

Sakura padded quietly to her room and began shimmying out of her clothes. Only when she dropped her pouch on the table did she remember that she'd forgotten to drop off her letter in the Hokage tower.

"_Dammit_." A resounding smack echoed as Sakura face-palmed and let out a frustrated sigh. She stared at her pouch for a long moment, wondering how she could've been so forgetful before she resolved to drop it off early tomorrow morning before the 10 a.m. pickup time.

With that thought in mind, she changed into a fresh pair of flowery underwear and shrugged on a t-shirt before quickly going about her nightly routine.

Did it even matter if she submitted the letter? Perhaps there was a penalty or punishment of some kind for people who sign up but never participate, and Sakura would rather not get involved in something like that. It was probably too late to back out, anyway.

No matter how much she felt like she was cheating whoever was matched with her by already having feelings for someone else, she had to give him a try at least.

With an aggravated sigh, Sakura went to bed and snuggled beneath her duvet, with thoughts of Kakashi and the way he smiled and tilted his head cutely to the side refusing to leave her mind.

In the end, she fell asleep replaying the smooth timbre of his voice in her mind, his words and the dark depths of his eyes unwittingly followed her into dreamland.

* * *

**I'm so so sorry this took so long! I started a new job T_T I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, I'm excited to share the next one with you, featuring some ShikaTema and friendly ShikaSaku! Kisses to all those who read and review xxxx**

**Beta'd by the awesome ohayohimawari!**

**-bouncyyyyy**


	4. The Space Between Heartbeats

**Chapter 3**

Sakura didn't receive a reply to her letter until four days later, and by then she had almost forgotten about it and the program altogether, what with how busy the hospital and Ino usually kept her.

She'd gotten up early that morning, the remnants of an unpleasant dream lingering in her system as the panic slowly faded. It had taken her sometime to recenter herself, going through the familiar routine of naming every object in her immediate vicinity until she stopped seeing bloody shapes littering a battlefield.

She'd showered, dressed, fixed her hair and only noticed a letter when she went to grab an apple and found an envelope on the roof of her microwave. Neat cursive letters of hers and her matches' participant numbers and a date.

Sakura took a seat on the kitchen chair and anxiously unrolled the paper to see what information she could glean about her match.

_Dear 56…_

_Yes, it will indeed be troublesome not having a name to call you by. However, I will hold off on giving you a nickname until I've gotten to know you better—but feel free to call me whatever you see fit as well. _

_For the record, I too was dared into this program. I lost the lamest bet ever. _

_I'm an excellent cook, according to others. I've learned to cook from a very young age, more for survival than for a hobby. But to be honest, I'm usually too lazy to cook for myself these days. _

_I don't know about eloquently-worded letters but I do write in my free time. Nothing major, just short stories though I never published them. You see my best friend once told me to get a life, so I decided finding a hobby was in order. _

_Your teammates sound a little like mine, they're an absolute pain but I love them (I doubt they know, which is for the best otherwise they'd totally take advantage of it)._

_There's nothing wrong with being expressive... in a world like ours, it's a blessing when someone is open about their thoughts and feelings with people they trust. Although if you knew me this will make me sound like a complete hypocrite._

_My favourite food is miso soup and I only cook for myself when the mood strikes. I don't have any roommates, I've always lived alone for as long as I could remember. To be fair though, I enjoy my space. _

_I'd also like to put a quick disclaimer here that I totally suck at this, and I haven't written someone a letter since … probably the Third Shinobi War. Yes, that long._

_I do wonder how old you are._

_Hear from you soon,_

_34\. _

Sakura let out the nervous breath she was holding after going through the entirety of 34's letter. What she found frustrating was that she had more questions than answers now. For instance, the Third Shinobi War? How old did that make _him_?

Logically, Sakura knew he could not be older than thirty-five, after all, she had this range specified in her form. However, when she'd aimed for such a limit, she'd been more concerned with pushing forth the idea that she wanted a mature man. Sakura was tired of boys. Those she'd dated were all either idiots, entitled, or lacked a spine.

All that considered, she still didn't expect to be paired with someone at the extreme end of her range.

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, she went through the letter again. He seemed … nice, for the lack of a better word. Friendly enough.

… and she barely knew enough about him to deduce his identity.

Sakura let out a dejected sigh and packed the letter back into its folder.

Today was her first day off in ages, and the only thing that occupied her mind until minutes ago was that she could barely believe Ino got to sleep in until _nine-thirty _a.m. while Sakura had to be up at five every day. Was there any fairness left in this world?

She contemplated writing a reply then, before she got too busy and forgot all about it … but then her stomach let out an antsy growl of displeasure, clearly finding the measly apple she'd fed it earlier too insulting and demanding retribution. Well, she had more pressing matters than the letter after all.

Sakura grabbed her pouch, shoving the letter unceremoniously into it, and was on her way. The closest restaurant was Ichiraku, but she didn't fancy ramen for breakfast. Instead, she decided to make a stop at the teashop just a little further ahead. It was owned by the Akimichi, which meant that whatever they served was a little piece of heaven on a plate.

It was an unexpected but pleasant surprise to find Shikamaru and Temari there, the former lounging in his chair with a stick of dango tucked between his teeth and the latter taking dainty sips from her teacup. Both glanced over the moment she entered and any quickly-formulated plan to leave the shop to avoid crashing their date became null.

"Yo." Shikamaru raised a two-fingered salute very reminiscent of Kakashi, and she wondered absently if it was a lazy person thing. "Fancy seeing you in the daylight."

"Hi Shika, hey Temari," Sakura waved as she approached them. "Nice to see you guys."

"Sakura, it's been so long." Temari was already on her feet and drawing the rosette into a friendly one-armed hug that had become their customary greeting every time Temari visited Konoha.

"Yes, I know, I'm sorry... I meant to visit Suna, but the hospital got me crazy busy." Sakura returned the hug, and when they parted Shikamaru, was smiling in that lazy way of his.

"How come you're not in the hospital right now?" He munched on another dango stick and stole Temari's tea for a sip.

Scowling, the Suna kunoichi reached over to slap his hand away and reclaim her drink. "Get your own tea," she demanded with a cute huff that sent Sakura doubling over with laughter and Shikamaru straight into long-suffering resignation.

"It's my day off, actually…" she paused. "Well, actually, I exceeded my weekly hours and Tsunade-sama physically hauled me out yesterday and asked me not to come back until tomorrow. So." Sakura sighed as she dropped on the vacant seat next to Shikamaru. "I'm stuck. Doing normal people stuff. What do people do when they're free?"

"Cloud watch—"

"—Go out and socialise."

Sakura watched with thinly veiled amusement as the couple sent mild glares at each other.

"I thought you enjoyed going out with me," Temari said, tone clipped.

"_I_ thought you enjoyed cloud watching with me, what's your point?" Shikamaru countered, something both intense and lazy in his stare, a strange expression Sakura couldn't quite place.

"My point is you need to go out more," Temari insisted.

"Last time we went out, your brother attacked me with a puppet and I barely escaped with my dick intact."

Sakura snorted and quickly covered her mouth. Temari and Shikamaru seemed to remember her presence, and they both blushed a faint red before they too began to giggle.

Temari cleared her throat before long. "So, anyway. Chouji is having a barbecue party tonight, open to everyone. Maybe you should join us? I heard a lot of people will be there, might be a nice change from the hospital scenery."

The first thing Sakura thought of was whether Kakashi would be there. The second thing she thought of was whether her mystery letter match would also wind up there. And the third thing she did was reprimand herself for being such a _teenager_ at twenty-one.

"Uh, well …" Even if she said no, she knew without a shadow of doubt Ino would be dragging her there kicking and screaming. "I might just."

Knowing her luck and how trouble chased her at every corner, someone would wind up hacking up a lung or dying, and they'd need her to be doctor Haruno to the rescue… might as well go and save some poor bastard from choking. Sakura was noble like that.

"Gods, you have no life," Shikamaru laughed and ducked Sakura's back-hand. "Oi, don't get pissy cause it's true."

A kick followed her failed attempt, stubbornly childish, but Shikamaru blocked it with his own, his eyebrow twitching ever so slightly, the only sign her kick stung.

"Okay kids, that's enough," Temari cackled, reaching over to steal one of Shikamaru's dango before he could stop her. She stuck her tongue out, victorious, before popping a piece into her mouth.

Shikamaru's intense gaze swore retribution—how he planned to deliver it, Sakura hadn't figured out yet.

As the couple proceeded to have a silent conversation with their eyes, Sakura's slid to the door just in time to see Suzuki—one of her completely insufferable dates, who had in fact never failed to try to convince her to go on date number three with him—walk in. It wasn't even Ino's match, because then blowing him off would've been easy… it had just so happened to be her mother, Suzuki's mother's best friend, who'd urged her to give him a try.

In a completely undignified (and embarrassing) manner, Sakura ducked under the table and flattened her back against the wall, jostling Shikamaru and Temari as she practically crawled between their knees.

Above the table, Shikamaru's dango seemed to have slid down the wrong hole. His knee jerked against the underside of the table, rattling the wood, and hacking coughs intermingled with wet laughter followed. Temari's body trembled as she too doubled over, and Sakura felt her face flaming in reaction.

She watched as Suzuki's feet walked past their table and internally cursed her luck. She might have to shunshin out of there now, breakfast discarded. Not to mention, this would be circulating the jounin headquarters for at least a month if Shikamaru breathed a word about it to Ino.

He was still laughing like a moron, and no amount of pinching his calf changed that. Sakura huffed, swiping at her fringe, and sent a warning jolt of chakra through his leg. It spasmed in protest, and she had to stifle a giggle at his hiss.

"Sakura? What in the world are you doing under the table?"

She froze in horror as a certain silver-haired, dark eyed man bent to peer curiously at her. "Is this some sort of fun three-way fondling in public, because you guys are not being very discreet about it."

"O-of course not!" Sakura spluttered, and her head collided with the table edge in her hurry to get back into her seat. "Oww!"

Temari very much choked on her chuckles as Sakura pressed a soothing green hand to her head and lowered herself into a vacant seat with as much dignity as she could muster. "Kakashi, you dirty old man, don't say such nonsense."

His eyes creased, and if she weren't too busy being completely humiliated, she might've rejoiced over his sudden appearance.

"Oh? I'm not the one sitting between Shikamaru and Temari's legs." He shrugged unrepentantly and slid into the seat at Temari's side, uninvited. "What, pray tell, were you doing then?"

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Sakura's face turned pinker. She reached over to grab an empty dango stick and waved it threateningly at him. "Do you fancy being castrated by a dango stick?"

"... I didn't peg you as a sadist, Sakura," he responded with widened eyes. "Do I get a safe word?"

"KAKASHI-SENPAI!" Sakura slammed the stick into the table and instantly regretted it.

A hairline crack splintered the wood, and she watched in horror as it crawled across the table, and then, in slow motion, the table split in two and collapsed in a loud heap, teacups shattering upon impact.

Silence descended on their little table, Shikamaru and Temari sharing a stunned look while Kakashi looked faintly amused. The waitress standing across the room started, her jaw popping open in shock.

And then, for the cherry on top, "Sakura?"

Slowly, the rosette turned in her seat to see Suzuki gaping at her … seconds before he all but howled with uncontrollable mirth. "Did you just destroy the freaking table?"

Her eyebrow ticked in warning—how dare he laugh at her!

"Gods, you're awesome!" he declared, and she immediately tensed with discomfort. _Please… not in front of Kakashi… oh gods…. "_Why don't you join me over there at my table?"

Shikamaru made evil eyes at her, the have-fun-being-miserable kind of ones, while Temari remained wisely uninvolved.

Her eyes flitted over to Kakashi, quietly panicked, and before she could weight the pros and cons, she uttered, "Senpai. Reptile."

Shikamaru and Temari looked understandably confused, and for a second no expression registered across Kakashi's features, but soon after recognition flickered through his eyes. She thought he was smirking under the mask as he slowly turned in his seat to shoot Suzuki a look. "Actually, Sakura and I were just about to head to the training grounds. Maybe another time, yeah?"

Suzuki's blue eyes slid to Kakashi, feeling obviously averse, but his mouth clicked shut an instant later, and she had to wonder about the kind of face Kakashi was making. "S-sure."

"Thanks for being such a cupcake," Kakashi said, his tone purposely light. He stood up, clapping the man firmly on the shoulder.

Suzuki visibly suppressed a wince and quickly scurried away, much to Sakura's relief. Kakashi turned to nod at Shikamaru and Temari before motioning for her to follow him out.

Clearing her throat, Sakura stood up and motioned at the pile of wood. "Just um—put it on the Hokage's tab. I'll speak to shishou about it."

"Only you can get away with this without so much as a reprimand," Shikamaru snorted, standing up too. "Come on, Tem, let's go."

"Jealous much?" Sakura huffed under her breath and ignored the renewed giggling that ensued from Temari.

Before Shikamaru could retort, Sakura waved goodbye and jogged after Kakashi. "See you tonight!"

Kakashi gave her his infuriating yet casually charming eye smile. "Ready to go?"

"Very," she agreed as he led the way.

He shoved one hand in his pocket in a lackadaisical manner, whipping _Icha Icha_ out with the other. "What's happening tonight anyway?"

"Barbecue party at the Akimichi's," Sakura shrugged, glaring at his book. "Will you go?"

"I wasn't invited."

"I just invited you."

They shared a long glance. "Are you admitting parties are boring without your awesome senpai?"

"You're kinda full of shit, _senpai_," she accused.

"Ouch." He sent her a wounded look before he returned to his beloved story. "I might just have to come and prove you wrong."

"Mhmmm," she sounded out, inflicting an unconvinced lilt to the agreement, while secretly wishing desperately for him to go.

"Be nice to the man who saved you from a reptile," he chided, voice devoid of enthusiasm.

She choked on a chuckle and hurriedly masked it with a cough, "Right. Whatever would I have done without you!"

"That's more like it," Kakashi approved, and she could tell he was trying hard to resist a smile.

She grinned, her chest warm and fluttery. They arrived at the training grounds; despite it initially being an excuse to leave Suzuki, they seemed to have arrived at a unanimous unvoiced decision to go through with it.

"Rules?" Kakashi asked mildly as he slipped his book back into his pouch and adjusted his gloves.

"Hand to hand, no ninjutsu," Sakura decided as she slipped her pair of gloves on to match his. "For now anyway."

"Ho-ho." His eyes creased ever so slightly, like he might be smirking. "Do you plan to be here long?"

Sakura shrugged stiff shoulders and kneaded at muscles to loosen them. "I have nothing better to do."

"I see. Guess you'll just be doing me then," he said lightly, with a chuckle, like he didn't realise the way he phrased his sentence could be taken completely inappropriately.

Sakura felt her cheeks stubbornly heating. Any remote or even accidental implication—the mere thought—that she might in any world _do_ Kakashi left her insurmountably flustered. She cleared her throat, hoping her face didn't look as warm as it felt. "Right. Get ready to have your booty kicked."

"Sounds fun." His eyes glinted mischievously in the afternoon sun, and her chest constricted strangely again. Sakura took a breath, resisting the urge to press her palm to her heart.

"We'll see." She sounded a bit strangled to her own ears, but that couldn't be helped, she thought as she skipped to the edges of the training ground, putting some much-needed space between them.

They squared off, each formulating a plan of attack; plans A and B and all the way through to Zs were formulated. She could see it in the gleam of his eyes, ideas thought up and discarded in the span of seconds, reformulated, readjusted. Two brilliant minds raced in time to out-match each other.

All the while, Kakashi remained as still and as motionless as the earth. His stance was quietly tense, shoulders pulled back, feet apart. He'd know better than to relax in her presence.

Sakura could never forget the first time she'd seen Kakashi in battle. Her mind had been too shrouded with fear, her limbs all locked in place and her heart a galloping, wobbling mass of anxiety. She'd fully believed she'd die then, by Zabuza's hand.

And through it all, every time she'd looked to Kakashi, to the silent, collected figure that stood stock still, to the mismatched pair of eyes that blazed with something dangerous, she'd feel her heart both falter and calm.

He'd seemed untouchable, unreachable. He'd stood tall and fearless amidst the converging fog, and he'd gazed steadily and surely at an enemy that by all rights should have sent anyone cowering in fear.

Sakura, as naive and self-absorbed as she'd been at twelve, did not yet know the history of Kakashi, the legend that followed him, that he was every bit as dangerous, as terrifying, as Zabuza.

A deep breath passed through her lips, and Sakura grounded herself to the now.

She was a legend in her own right these days, and stories followed her the way they chased Kakashi.

She watched his feet, saw the exact moment he moved. He'd always been so fast, but it seemed that no matter how much faster she'd become, she could never quite catch up to him.

He moved like the wind—ever-present but never seen, whipping past and nearly propelling her back with it. He moved like his lightning— a crackle burning a streak across the sky, seen before it was heard, and whipping with a force that might set one on fire.

Yes, Kakashi had always been dangerous.

Sakura reeled back, bent in ways his body couldn't hope to, and her leg jerked up, strength unforgiving.

He took the hit, her boot grazing the underside of his jaw ever so lightly because he'd moved back just enough to avoid the full brunt of her attack.

His hands touched the ground first, his legs went swinging over his head, and he landed neatly on his feet. Well, he was fairly flexible, even if it didn't hold a candle to the way she'd conditioned her body to move.

They engaged in a relentless and brutal round of hand-to-hand; fists and elbows and knees went flying. The world around them seemed to slow down, every second stretched into a hundred frames arrested in milliseconds.

Her mind, working at a sharp and brisk pace noted every detail, the curve of pale eyelashes, the sweat beading on his temple, the arch of his nose beneath his mask, and the endless pools of charcoal and their incessant gleam.

She could've sworn he was smiling beneath that damned cloth.

His fist connected with its target, momentarily knocking the breath out of her. Sakura gasped, fell back and blocked his following attack with her elbow.

He bore down on her for a moment, a big mistake really, and she sent him flying backwards with a well-landed punch.

He grunted as he hit the ground, holding his stomach. Sakura didn't give him time... she pinned him to the dirt, locked his hips between her thighs and pressed down on him.

She squeezed both wrists, pushed them over his head, growled when he struggled, his hips jerking savagely beneath her. "Surrender."

He wriggled again, threw his entire weight against her, and suddenly she was on her back and he had her stuck under him. "Not today."

His grip was steely; Sakura didn't think it'd be easy to break it without chakra. But she wasn't about to cheat. Knees bent, she planted her feet on the ground and pushed him away with all her strength. She was, after all, still physically strong without chakra.

A winded 'oof' echoed from him as he was slammed against the ground once more and then Sakura's hand wrapped around his neck, a warning as she gazed at him challengingly.

He stilled, swallowing visibly beneath her hold. She could feel his heartbeat thumping against her fingers, a fast, staccato rhythm that had heat emanating strongly from their point of contact.

"Surrender," she tried again, giving the faintest squeeze.

"Or?" he replied defiantly.

"I could crush your larynx."

Their eyes met—it was an intense, silent moment that seemed to last forever. She noted that his eyes weren't exactly black, but rather the darkest shade of grey, something smoky and endless and completely consuming.

They drifted, merely flickered, to her mouth for just a split second of inattention, or perhaps some loss of restraint, but that seemed to be enough to make Sakura's mind screech to a halt and then kick-start again, working overtime.

She was at once aware of everything and nothing, their lack of distance, the feeling of his heat on her skin, the lithe muscles paving his torso, and above all, the unnamed, electric something that darkened his gaze.

Sakura swallowed thickly, her grip loosening, and he sucked in a shaky breath through his mask. Her eyes fell to his covered mouth, and she considered, for just a moment, what would happen if she kissed him.

Kakashi still didn't push her off, even when he could break free any moment he desired—she was no longer trying to hold him captive. Sakura didn't know what he was waiting for, except that there was something strangely alluring in having him beneath her, like this.

Her thumb stroked the side of his throat, unconsciously, grazed the edge of a sharp jawline. Kakashi went still, his eyes widened and then glazed over, half-lidded and lazy, ever familiar, but holding something foreign she had no name for.

"Sakura?" Her name rolled thickly off his tongue, gruff—the desire she felt to have him was not new or strange, but for a moment, it knocked the breath out of her.

Sakura recoiled the next second when she realised she'd almost begun to lean in, as if by the force of an invisible magnet. She tried not to scramble in her haste to get off him, rather she crouched back on her heel and straightened, suddenly feeling her heart racing for a completely different reason than their spar.

She cleared her throat, regained her bearing as she offered him her hand. "Round two?"

**(x)**

Logically, given their particular skill set and main chakra affinities, Kakashi and Sakura were not perfectly matched to be the sparring partners Naruto and Sasuke had become. Kakashi's lightning-element against her earth-element tended to cancel out his attack and nullify hers.

He favoured mid-range, but Sakura at that distance could be quite lethal. Her style was more fluid, she could easily resort to ranged fighting, keeping the enemy as far away as she needed, just as easily as she could let them into her private space and kill them with a single spike of chakra. Or crush their throats.

And while Kakashi could indeed resort to long-distance too, mid-range was clearly his forte.

It was always his speed that saved him, in the end.

Sakura grunted when he, yet again, swept her feet from under her and sent her crashing down. It was infuriating how he could be just within reach and then, in the next half a second, _not be_.

A fist from Sakura could rupture internal organs, level mountains, cause earthquakes, but it couldn't do much if it didn't land its intended target. And he knew it.

Kakashi was excellent at evasion, which didn't hurt either. He ducked and jumped and back-flipped away from most of her attacks, forcing her brain to work double-time trying to anticipate every future move.

"Just be still!" she growled, and her fist impacted the tree with more force than she'd intended for Kakashi. The tree exploded into a million little pieces, the splinter shower nicking the skin along her arms, opening up shallow cuts.

Kakashi seemed to still where he materialised a few feet away, eyes wide.

Sakura squashed down the instant wave of guilt at the thought of that attack actually hitting Kakashi. "Uh… I may or may not have overcharged that punch."

"No kidding," he muttered in stunned disbelief. "Are you trying to turn me into a paste? Because believe me, no one will save you from any future reptiles if I'm gone."

She smiled, the earlier ever-present tension dissolving like it never existed. They'd be okay, they always were. "Right, good point. Plan 'Turn Senpai Into Paste': discarded until further notice."

He rolled his eyes, but the little creasing at the corner gave him away. He was smiling.

They stared at each other for a moment; something in Kakashi's stance seemed to have relaxed a little after the familiar back-and-forth, and Sakura was grateful for that. A brief loss of control on her part shouldn't ruin a years' long friendship, but she didn't want to tempt fate. What she had with Kakashi—it was something unique to them. She had it with no one else, and she didn't want to.

With everyone else, there was a wall she had to build due to a reason or another; but with Kakashi, she craved falling apart with everything she's got. If all the walls came tumbling down, it wouldn't matter. Kakashi would never judge her; Kakashi understood. It was an unvoiced fact, but a fact nonetheless.

"I should go," she finally managed. It was silly, how much she wished for more time. More, more, more of everything when it came to him. "I have to get ready for the party."

"Alright," he acquiesced. Now he was visibly at rest; he'd shoved his hands in his pockets and fallen back into his familiar slouch.

"Will I be seeing you there?" She tried not to sound too hopeful, but she wasn't particularly thrilled to go to that party and having Kakashi join her would surely make things more interesting.

"Well…" he trailed off, and then smiled. "What kind of knight in shining armour would I be if I didn't come and protect you from any potential reptile attacks?"

"A terrible one," she agreed with a grin. "I'll see you tonight, then."


End file.
